


Of Our Worst Fears

by rowofstars



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Enchanted Forest, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Nightmares, Prompt Fic, angst fic meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 06:34:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8317537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowofstars/pseuds/rowofstars
Summary: Set in an AU where the clerics did take Belle, but Rumple rescued her. The aftermath is what you’d expect.





	

**Author's Note:**

> An anon prompted: Rumbelle + “Don’t fucking touch me” for the angsty fic meme and I felt compelled. Warnings for mentions of torture, abuse, and nightmares. Unbeta’d of course.

"Don't fucking touch me!" she screams, and Rumplestiltskin nearly falls backwards off the bed with the force of her exclamation.

He shifts backwards, looking panicked, and trying to suss out if there's a spell he knows to wake someone from what appears to be a horrific nightmare. She's been having them every night since he rescued her, and he can't say he's surprised. He doesn't know what all she endured being locked in the dungeons under her own castle by a bunch of vile clerics. The marks that are still healing on her body give him a good idea though. There's angry red lines on her back, black and blue marks circling her wrists and ankles, and skin rubbed raw from unforgiving leather and metal.

Every time he catches sight of them his anger almost boils over. He could turn Avonlea to dust with a thought, make sure the clerics, the guards, and her miserable excuse for a father suffer until the end of their days for what they have done to her. If only she would allow it. But when he found her just a week ago, cold, broken, and bleeding in the darkness, all she'd asked of him was to take her home.

_Home._

The Dark Castle. He could scarcely believe she'd meant it, convinced she was just confused about where she really was. Then she looked up at him, her eyes void of tears because she was so dehydrated, but pained and pleading all the same.

And she said, "Take me home, Rumplestiltskin."

Now he's here, helpless while she flails in the bed, her limbs twisting in the sheets as she fights off her imaginary attackers yet again. A broken sob echoes in the darkness, and he feels a stab right through his blackened heart. He reaches for her, trying to be careful as he takes hold of her arms, wincing when she clocks him in the jaw with her tiny fist.

"Belle," he says gently. "Wake up, Belle."

She almost stills, but then tries to pull away, and he has to pull her closer to keep her from breaking free and possibly hurting herself.

"Belle," he pleads. " _Please_ , sweetheart, you have to wake up. You're safe now."

She startles, her body jerking and going stiff as she looks up at him with wide eyes, and he immediately lets go of her arms. He doesn't want her to be afraid of him, and he doesn't want to hurt her anymore than she already has been.

"Rumple?" Her voice is so quiet he can barely hear her.

Her nightmare finally starts to fade like a fog lifting in the morning sun. Her breathing starts to slow and she feels like she's going to throw up or fall over. But he's here and he's holding her. Rumplestiltskin saved her, just like she knew he would.

He nods, tears welling up in his eyes as he gives her a soft smile. "Yes."

Belle practically throws herself at him, her arms going around his neck and squeezing so hard he's actually grateful his curse makes him immortal. Tentatively, his hands come up to hold her, first at her waist and then when he sees she's not about to let him ago, he allows himself to touch her more. His palms spread over her back, supporting her slight weight and holding her against his body. She feels so good, but so fragile. He can't let himself think about anything but taking care of her, helping her to heal.

"I was so scared," she says into his neck. She almost smiles at the comforting smell of fire smoke and herbs. She missed that so much.

Rumplestiltskin sighs at the feeling of her warm breath, and then again as she finally pulls back. He starts to move away, but she grabs his hand and tugs on it.

"Will y-you - will you stay?" she asks.

The hesitation, the fear in her voice nearly kills him. Before he took her out of that awful place, she was so much more vibrant, so strong. Nothing he did scared her beyond those first few nights. She saw right through every mask, cut away his disguises with her kindness and her cheeky quips. She always gave as good as she got. He hopes she can be that person again.

He nods, and lets her pull him into her bed. It's a place he never dreamed he'd be, though the circumstances are not at all what he might have once wished. He doubts very much she wishes for anything like that from him. They might have shared True Love's Kiss once, but after this, after throwing her out and abandoning her to a wretched fate -

He's not sure he deserves any of her favor, and he's certain once she heals she won't want to ever see him again. That will be okay though, as long as she's safe and happy. He leans back against the headboard, propped up by a stack of pillows, and she fits herself next to him. Laying on her side, she wraps one arm over his torso and rests one leg on his, and he puts one arm around her shoulders. The other lies across his lap to hold her hand. If it wasn't for the ordeal she's been through, he'd say it was quite - intimate. But really he knows it's just her need for comfort and the feeling of not being alone. She shivers and with a thought the fire leaps up, doubling in height and sending a burst of heat into the room as he pulls the heavy duvet up to her shoulder.

"Do you know," she starts, only to stop and have to clear her throat. It's still strained from crying and screaming, a little scratchy in spite of all the soothing honey tea she's had. "Do you know what I thought about while I was in that place?"

She doesn't call it Avonlea or her father's castle or anything but "that place." Those other things are dead to her now.

He can't speak or look down at her for fear he'll start bawling, so he just shakes his head.

"This," Belle says softly. "Us."

Rumplestiltskin swears his heart stops at her words, and after a moment he turns his head and looks down to find two, clear blue eyes staring back at him. The way she's looking at him is so open and wondrous that now he's sure he's dreaming or dead.

"Us?" he asks.

She lays her head back down, resting it against his shoulder. She nods. "I haven't forgotten what happened before I - _left_."

He swallows. He hasn't forgotten either.

"I was on my way back here when they found me," she continues. "Back to you."

He shuts his eyes and a single tear finally breaks free and trickles down his scaly, rough cheek. "To me?" He pulls back and looks down at her again. "Why?"

Her lips twitch, a hint of a smile catching at the corners of her mouth. "It's True Love isn't it?"

His mouth falls open but he doesn't know what to say. Could she have really come back because she loves _him_? _Still_? After everything she's been through?

"You - ?" He questions. "Me - ?"

She almost laughs. It's amusing to see the deal maker with the supposed silver tongue reduced to one syllable sentences. But she just smiles a little and goes back to snuggling him.

"Yes," she says a long moment later.

And that is that.

Rumplestiltskin exhales, feeling lighter than he has in centuries, and somehow he knows she'll be okay. He conjures a book, the one she was last reading, a fact that does not go unnoticed if her raised eyebrow is anything to go by. But he says nothing, just opens it to the page where her blue ribbon was tucked and begins reading aloud. Beside him, Belle lets the ribbon trail through her fingers over and over as the sound of his voice and the feeling of his warm body against her lulls her to the first peaceful, dreamless sleep she's had in a long time.


End file.
